Harry Bartell

Show Count: 244Series Count: 10Role: Old Time Radio StarOld Time RadioBorn: November 28, 1913, New Orleans, Louisiana, USADied: February 26, 2004 , Ashland, Oregon, USA

Harry Bartell(November 28, 1913 – February 26, 2004) was anAmericanactor andannouncerinradio,televisionandfilm. With his rather youthful sounding voice, Bartell was one of the busiest West Coastcharacter actorsfrom the early 1940s until the final end of network radio drama in the 1960s. He served in theUnited States Army.

Bartell was born inNew Orleans,Louisiana, but grew up inHouston, where he got his start at station KRPC. Upon moving toCalifornia, he became a favorite of producer/directorNorman MacDonnell, performing frequently onEscape(notably as Ronald Dawson inThe Second Class Passengerand Peyton Farquar inAmbrose Bierce'sAn Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge), and was a leading member of theGunsmokerepertory company. Bartell was with the latter series from the first broadcast on April 26, 1952 until the last show on June 18, 1961; his roles ranged from friendly townspeople to victims to heavies, from the occasional role ofDodge Cityprinter Mr. Hightower to famed gunslingerDoc Hollidayin a 1952 episode. With fellow actorVic Perrin, he also co-wrote two episodes near the end of the radio run, and appeared many times on the TV version ofGunsmoke,sometimes reprising his radio roles.

Bartell worked on other radioWesternssuch asThe Six Shooter,Frontier Gentleman,Have Gun Will Travel,andFort Laramie(a regular as Lt. Seiberts). Other recurring radio parts included a stint as one of several actors to playArchie GoodwininThe New Adventures of Nero WolfestarringSydney Greenstreet, Tommy Brooks on thesituation comedyThe Charlotte Greenwood Show,and Officer Ed Miller onRogers of the Gazette. As an announcer, he was heard onThe New Adventures of Sherlock Holmesfor several years, interviewingDr. Watsonand segueing into commercials for Petri Wine (he also announced onSilver Theaterin the 1940s and on the radio version ofDear Abbyfrom 1960 until 1972).

In films and television, his youthful voice was revealed to come from a silver-haired figure. His TV appearances included guest roles onGet Smart,I Love Lucy,Wild Wild West, andThe Twilight Zone, in addition to the television versions ofGunsmokeandDragnet(reprising his radio role of Father Rojas inChristmasepisodes of both the 1951 and 1967 series). His few films included the 1954Dragnetmovie and an unbilled part inHoward Hawks'Monkey Business.

Apart from his acting work, Bartell was an active photographer (many of his photos of theGunsmokecast appeared in the 1990 book on the seriesGunsmoke: A Complete History). In his last years, he was a frequent presence atold-time radioconventions and recreations, wrote online articles about the medium and his experiences, and even participated in radio-themedchat rooms. His final radio appearance was on Seattle radio producerJim French'sseriesThe Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,guest starring as a blustery American publisher in an August 2003 episode. He died the following February.